马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 二十五
“你知道，可能有三个叫杰拉尔德·图伊兹的人。”海伦说。
“There could have been three men named Gerald Tuesday, you know,” Helene said.
马龙点点头。“有可能。”他沮丧地说，“但我也不相信有圣诞老人。”
Malone nodded. “There could,” he said gloomily, “but I don’t believe in Santa Claus, either.”
他们坐在城北的一个小酒吧里，喝着啤酒，为他们的发现而忧心忡忡。半个小时过去了，喝了三杯啤酒，他们还是没有得出任何结论。
They were sitting in a small north-side bar, drinking beer and worrying about their discovery. After half an hour and three beers, they hadn’t e to any conclusion.
“也许我们会知道得更多。”律师说，“等我找几个我能信任的人闯进那个坟墓看看里面有什么。很可能结果会是里面是空的。”
“Maybe we’ll know more,” the lawyer said, “after I have a couple of boys I can trust break into that grave and find out what’s there. It’ll probably turn out to be empty.”
“如果是这样。”杰克指出，“那为什么会有人把它挖开——顺便问一下，第一次是谁挖的？”
“If it is,” Jake pointed out, “what was the idea of someone else digging it up—and incidentally, who did the first digging?”
“我只是提问。”马龙说，“我不回答问题。”他皱着眉头，“不过，立那块墓碑的时候肯定有埋葬许可证和死亡证明。在城市档案里做一点调查可能会查到一些关于杰拉尔德·图伊兹的情况。”
“I just ask the questions,” Malone said. “I don’t answer them.” He scowled. “Still, there must have been a burial permit and a death certificate, when that stone was set up. A little research in the city records may tell something about Gerald Tuesday.”
“如果我觉得莫娜·麦克莱恩在说谎，我会对整件事感觉好一点。”杰克若有所思地说，“但我有一种不安的怀疑，她在说实话。”
“I’d feel better about the whole thing if I thought Mona McClane was lying,” Jake said thoughtfully. “But I have an unfortable suspicion that she’s telling the truth.”
马龙说：“别忘了，这些图伊兹谋杀案——只有天知道哪个才是真正的杰拉尔德·图伊兹——可能跟莫娜·麦克莱恩和她的赌注毫无关系。”
Malone said, “Don’t forget that these Tuesday murders—and only God knows which one was Gerald Tuesday—may have nothing to do with Mona McClane and her bet.”
“你让我沮丧，但你没让我气馁。”海伦说，然后点了一根烟。“也许杰拉尔德·图伊兹是个化名。”
“You depress me,” Helene said, “but you don’t discourage me.” She lit a cigarette. “Maybe Gerald Tuesday was an assumed name.”
小主，
杰克摇了摇头。“没人会故意取杰拉尔德这个名字。”
Jake shook his head. “No one would ever deliberately assume the name of Gerald.”
她深深地叹了口气。“马龙，你提点建议。”
She sighed heavily. “Malone, you suggest something.”
“我建议再来一杯啤酒。”律师说。他向酒保示意。“不。”当酒保走过来时他又说，“我喝腻啤酒了。来三杯杜松子酒。”
“I suggest another beer,” the lawyer said. He signaled to the bartender “No,” he said as the latter approached. “I’m bored with beer. Bring three gins.”
“我们每人三杯。”海伦说。“马龙，还记得你找到的那张纸条吗？”
“Three for each of us,” Helene said. “Malone, remember the note you found?”
“我已经想起来了。”他严肃地说。他拿出纸条。“‘你不能把罪名安在一个死了二十年的人身上。’”
“I’ve already remembered it,” he said grimly. He produced it. “‘You can’t pin a crime on a man who’s been dead for twenty years.’”
“但是，”杰克问道，“谁死了二十年了？”
“But,” Jake demanded, “who has been dead for twenty years?”
马龙盯着他。“我忘了你不识字。那块墓碑上的名字是杰拉尔德·图伊兹。”
Malone stared at him. “I forgot you couldn’t read. The name on that tombstone was Gerald Tuesday.”
海伦透过香烟的烟雾看着马龙。“你打算怎么处置洛特斯？把她一直关在拘留所里吗？”
Helene gazed at Malone through the smoke of her cigarette. “What are you going to do with Lotus? Leave her in the calaboose?”
“还有更糟的地方呢。”马龙不置可否地说。“冯·弗拉纳根只是把她扣下审问。还没对她提出正式指控。等他消消气，我就能轻而易举地把她弄出来。他并不真的认为她杀了杰拉尔德·图伊兹，只是他气坏了，必须得抓个人。”
“There’s worse places,” Malone said nonmittally. “Von Flanagan just has her held for questioning. No formal charges against her yet. When he cools off a little, I can get her out without any trouble. He doesn’t really think she murdered Gerald Tuesday, but he just got mad and had to arrest somebody.”
“我希望你是对的。”海伦说。“她是个好女孩。”